Nigeria is the 7th largest country in the world in terms of population. Its economy is the largest in Africa and is expected to be in the top 10 ones in the world by 2050. Being in the country, it is impossible not to be connected. Whether you are a tourist or a resident, having a mobile phone connection is a basic necessity. If you are wondering what the leading providers of SIM cards in Nigeria are, you are reading the right article. We will cover the carriers that offer SIM cards for tourists and locals alike. Without further delay, let’s dive into the top mobile networks in the country.
1. MTN Nigeria
MTN Nigeria or just MTN is the largest SIM cards provider in the country, and also has the best network coverage. But with a great brand and services comes a high price, unfortunately. Hence, MTN is the most expensive service provider in Nigeria. MTN operates on 2G, 3G, and 4G/LTE frequencies. Although its network is available in all small towns and large cities of the country, there are still some locations where only 2G or 3G networks are available.
An MTN SIM card is available for around 400 NGN (Nigerian Naira) at all the official outlets. But to register you will need to go to MTN Enrollment Centers as registration is not possible at the aforementioned outlets. For short-term visitors or tourists, an MTN Visitor SIM card is available for 5,000 to 10,000 NGN. These visitor SIM cards have a validity of 30 days. After that period, or if the Visitor’s Bundle expires, the SIM will be automatically switched to a regular tariff plan. Also, for the same prices mentioned above, you can get an MTN embedded SIM, too.
2. Airtel Nigeria
Airtel Nigeria is the second-largest telecom carrier in the country in terms of the number of subscribers. Earlier it was way behind its major competitor Glo Mobile Nigeria. But in recent times it has jumped to the runner-up due to its lenient SIM card registration scheme and fast-speed network system. Airtel also operates on 2G, 3G, and 4G/LTE frequencies with extensive coverage throughout the country.
You can obtain an Airtel SIM card for as low as 150 NGN which needs to be registered at the carrier’s Registration Centers. In Airtel, you can get data-only plans, combo plans, social media data-only plans, and app-specific data-only plans. It is important to remember that your data allowance will automatically get doubled on any data plan that is below 5,000 NGN during each activation for the first 90 days.
3. Glo Mobile Nigeria
This carrier is commonly referred to as Glo or Glo Mobile. It is the third-largest provider of SIM cards in Nigeria and a brand of Globacom. As mentioned, it went from second to third spot recently due to having slow speed for years. Like the other two giants, it also operates on 2G, 3G, and 4G/LTE frequencies. Getting a Glo Mobile SIM card is very cheap — 100 NGN only. The SIM cards and top-up vouchers are available at Glo Cafes (Glo Mobile Stores), convenience stores, grocery stores, and so on.
Glo Mobile SIM plans are available as a combo, data-only, social media data-only, and app-specific data-only. You can activate any mobile plan by dialing *777#. It is known for being a low-cost carrier used by the budget-oriented people in the country. If you use this SIM, expect to compromise on the service quality and speed.
4. 9mobile
9mobile is the smallest of all the four telecom companies in Nigeria. Though it is considered smallish, it still serves more than 25 million subscribers. It is slow in terms of speed, so its SIM card is quite cheap as well (100 NGN only). But to get a premium number, you may require to spend as much as 25,000 NGN. Once your SIM card is bought you will need to call 200 to activate it. 9mobile top-up vouchers are available easily around the country.
The company offers combo plans, data-only plans, and social media data-only plans to its subscribers. Moreover, it supports prepaid and postpaid SIM plans, and has separate plans for roaming, whether to nearby countries or across the ocean. The first two are standard, but the last one brings unique benefits such as low call rates (voice only), airtime bonuses, and free incoming calls, whenever possible.